Spiced Citrus Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry Sauce Just Like Mom’s

I absolutely have to have cranberry sauce at my Thanksgiving table but truth be told it is also quite welcomed throughout the fall and winter, particularly alongside chicken and pork. It keeps for weeks in the refrigerator so I encourage you to consider doubling the recipe; it doesn’t really take any longer to make.

This Spiced Citrus Cranberry Sauce version is my “basic” cranberry sauce, based upon the one my Mom taught me as a child and the one that appeared on our holiday table every year. It takes advantage of the fact that many, if not most, fresh cranberriesare packaged in 12-ounce (340 g) bags in the U.S.

Cranberries and the Low FODMAP Diet

You will note that dried cranberries have been tested by Monash and are included on the smartphone app, although fresh and frozen cranberries are not. The MONASH team does, however, discuss fresh cranberries on their siteand while the fruit does contain oligo-fructans, they suggest that smaller portions will most likely be tolerated. Try a couple of tablespoons of cranberry sauce to start and gauge your own tolerance. See Tips for more information. If you are hankering for even more cranberry ideas, check out our Cranberry Quick Bread with Orange recipe.

Preparation:

Stir water and sugar together in a non-reactive medium sized saucepan and begin to bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring once or twice.

Meanwhile wash, drain and pick over and discard any soft cranberries. Once the sugar is dissolved add the cranberries, orange zest and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn heat down to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the cranberries pop, about 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before serving. May be refrigerated in airtight container for up to one week for best texture. It can be stored for an additional week but it might begin to thicken a bit (still quite tasty, though). Bring to room temperature before serving.

Tips

I leave the zest and cinnamon stick in when serving; some folks like to eat the zest, which is now essentially candied, and as a child, getting to suck on the cinnamon stick was a treat. Leaving them in upon storage also increases their flavor release.

During cranberry season (October through December in the U.S.) buy some extra bags of cranberries and throw them in the freezer. They will last up to a year so you can make sauce and Cranberry Quick Bread all year round.

Dédé Wilson is co-founder of FODMAP Everyday®, trained on the use of a low FODMAP diet for IBS by Monash University, accredited by FODMAP Friendly as a reliable and reputable FODMAP educator and also follows the diet herself. She is a former Bon Appetit magazine Contributing Editor, cookbook author, television personality and corporate spokesperson. Her current focus is creating engaging and helpful content for other FODMAPers such as herself and helping them thrive! Check out her newest book, The Low-FODMAP Diet Step by Step.